Welfare Reform on the Web (August 2001): Health Care - Overseas

INSTITUTIONAL INNOVATION AND THE HANDLING OF HEALTH COMPLAINTS IN NEW ZEALAND: AN ASSESSMENT

K. Dew and M. Roorda

Health Policy, vol. 57, 2001, p. 27-44

Paper focuses on two innovations in health complaints mechanisms in New Zealand reflected in two pieces of legislation: the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 and the Medical Practitioner Act 1995. The former mandated the creation of an agency external to the health professions to deal with complaints and the latter concerned the governance of the medical profession. It gave the Medical Council of New Zealand powers to investigate the competence of any doctor regardless of whether a complaint had been made, to impose quality assurance programmes, and to impose a retraining programme on any practitioner.

THE MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

D. Banta

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, vol. 3, 2001, p. 177-190

The field of health technology assessment has been developed to improve the health benefits of care, especially in relation to costs. The limits on resources for healthcare now seen in all countries mean that choices must be made between alternatives. Technology assessment can be a major help in this regard. Paper describes health care technology assessment as it has developed to the present time and points out some directions for future development. One major problem for HTA is to impact effectively on the clinical and administrative levels of health care delivery.

NORMS FOR PRIORITY SETTING AMONG HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: A VIEW FROM NORWAY

O. S. Lian

Sociology of Health and Illness, vol. 23, 2001, p. 357-385

Study examined the attitudes of health professionals to setting priorities through an analysis of data collected by interview and questionnaire from senior physicians and nurses in Norwegian hospitals. Results show that clinical need, defined by level of severity and urgency, is the main criterion. Expected medical effects is also important, but not the ratio of effects to costs or expected income for the department. Some say that they give priority to patients on sick leave.

SWEDEN TODAY, BRITAIN TOMORROW

K. J. Woods

British Journal of Health Care Management, vol. 7, 2001, p. 227-230

In the context of the UK government's concordat with the private sector in England, paper describes some recent policy initiatives to privatise the delivery of hospital clinical services in Stockholm.

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION IN THE RESTRUCTURING OF HEALTHCARE DELIVERY

E. Geisler

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, vol. 3, 2001, p. 111-122

In the past decade, health care delivery in the US has experienced aggressive restructuring. Paper examines the role that medical technology played in the restructuring, and the impacts of restructuring the industry on medical technology and its management. Managed care, integration and strategic alliances are identified as the main elements of restructuring. Their impacts on medical technology include selective usage of technology, improved standards and emphasis on networking.